Aldi projects mid-2018 opening date for Naperville Crossings store

Erin Hegarty / Naperville Sun

Aldi officials project a mid-2018 opening date for a new grocery store near the intersection of Route 59 and 95th Street in the Naperville Crossings shopping area. The space was originally built for The Fresh Market, but has sat vacant since construction was complete.

Aldi officials project a mid-2018 opening date for a new grocery store near the intersection of Route 59 and 95th Street in the Naperville Crossings shopping area. The space was originally built for The Fresh Market, but has sat vacant since construction was complete. (Erin Hegarty / Naperville Sun)

Aldi is expecting to open its second Naperville store this year in a building near Route 59 and 95th Street that has been vacant since it was constructed.

The grocery store chain will occupy the 24,800-square-foot building at 2708 Showplace Drive originally built for The Fresh Market. Plans for The Fresh Market to occupy the Naperville Crossings space fell through some time after the chain was purchased by Apollo Global Management.

The new Aldi grocery store has a mid-2018 projected opening date, and the chain's officials took population density, proximity to competition, cost of the property and traffic patterns into consideration when looking for the new location, said Heather Moore, vice president for Aldi Dwight Division, in an email.

"Our top priority is being conveniently located for our customers," Moore said "We look forward to continuing to serve the Naperville community at our new store when it opens later this year."

The south Naperville location will "showcase the new Aldi look," with modern and convenient features and a focus on "fresh items, including more robust produce, dairy and bakery sections," Moore said. "The store's design will also feature open ceilings, natural lighting and environmentally-friendly building materials, such as recycled materials, energy-saving refrigeration and LED lighting."

Aldi currently has a Naperville location at 1440 Naperville Wheaton Road. There is also a store just off Route 59 at 4444 Ogden Ave. in Aurora.